A change in state law this month allows non-violent offenders to have their
criminal records sealed for misdemeanor and Class D felonies, the Indiana
Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) said in a statement released today.

The law, which went into effect on July 1, allows Indiana ex-offenders to
file a petition with the court in which they were tried eight years after
the completion of their sentence to have their criminal records sealed.

If a court grants the petition request, an individual would not be required
to disclose the conviction on employment applications or any other documents
outside of the criminal justice system. Furthermore, it gives ex-offenders
the ability to legally state on an application for employment that they have
not been convicted or arrested of a crime, removing a large barrier in
finding employment.

“It is important that, after years of staying out of trouble, that
non-violent crimes be removed from public record,” said Joshua Brewster,
deputy director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. “This will give
ex-offenders a better opportunity of finding gainful employment and lower
the probability of them resorting back to crime.”

The Indiana State Police is responsible for limiting access to criminal
histories, and about two dozen requests had been filed during the past three
years through November 2010. A legislative fiscal analysis earlier this year
said it wasn’t clear how many people this new law could effect.

Indiana Civil Rights Laws provide protection for all Indiana residents and
prevent illegal discrimination based on a person’s: race, color, gender,
national origin, ancestry, religion or disability in the areas of:
employment, real estate, public accommodation, education and credit.
However, state law does not prohibit employers from using criminal history
to make hiring decisions.

For more information about this new law, or your rights and responsibilities
under Indiana Civil Rights Laws, contact the Indiana Civil Rights Commission
at (800) 628-2909 or visit us on-line at in.gov/icrc

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission enforces Indiana Civil Rights Laws and
provides education and services to the public in an effort to ensure equal
opportunity for all Hoosiers and visitors to the State of Indiana.